Oar lock device



y 1966 N. KIRIAKOU OAR LOCK DEVICE Filed March 5, 1964 u mg m w. Jw

3,252,171 OAR LOCK DEVICE Nicholaos K. Kiriakou, Box 25, Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. Filed Mar. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 349,096 1 Claim. (Cl. 9-26) sibility of separation of the oar from the oar lock is avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved oar and oar lock construction in which the oar and the oar lock are combined to form a unitary structure which is suitable for installation in a boat for the propulsion or guidance thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved oar and oar lock construction in which there is an oar-clamped device which is adapted for engagement with a portion of the shank of an oar, and adapted for freeswinging engagement with an oar mounting portion, permitting :free feathering of the oar during employment thereof, to reduce windage resistance.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved oar, and oar lock construction in which there is a main oar clamping means for engaging the shank of the oar firmly, with extended stub shaft exten sion therefrom, and including an upright oar lock support ing means engageable with a socket or other portion of the boat hull, and being freely rotatable while in such engagement with said hull and also being freely turnable about the axis of the stub shaft extension, thus permitting the user of the oar or oars of the boat complete freedom in turning the oars about their longitudinal axis during the rowing or boat guiding without impairing their continuous engagement with the water when needed.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved oar, and oar lock construction of the type described, which is equally adaptable to use with a rowboat for propelling the same by use of .two oars, and also is equally adaptablexfor sculling the same by means of a single oar of any suitable length, pivotally carried at the stren of the boat, and/or for guiding the direction of movement of the boat thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved oar and oar lock combination device which is simple in construction, comprises a minimum of parts, is rugged in design, and which can be manufactured at low cost by relatively unskilled labor and with mass production methods.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which the accompanying drawings show a preferred form thereof, and in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a boat with an oar emplaced thereon according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale, showing one oar and oar lock position of the boat, with mounting devices thereon.

FIGURE 3 is a right end elevational view of the boat portion seen in FIGURE 2, the view being partly in fragment.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the devices shown in FIGURE 2, the boat hull being sectioned, and the oar being shown in fragment.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional elevational view taken substantially on plane 55 of FIGURE 2.

In the construction of small boats, especially for their use either for propulsion by oars, and/ or their propulsion United States Patent 3 ,252 ,1 71 Patented May 24, 1966 by sculling, and/ or their guidance by stren-mounted oars when either muscle powered or powered by other motive means such as engine power, various difliculties have arisen which must be solved. The present invention deals with the problems of mounting the oars, retaining them in engagement with the boat, and in achieving the most efficient use of the oars in propulsion and/or guidance of the boat.

Accordingly, it has been found, for example with conventional type-s of oar locks, consisting of an upwardly open substantially U-shaped configuration into which the oar itself is emplaced, that the oar becomes displaced from the oar lock during use thereof, and when it thus loses its fixed pivotal attachment to the boat, it cannot be used to propel or guide the boat. Such conditions may be humorous on a small lake or pond, but when the :boat is being used in a storm, or in heavy sea waves or swells, as for example by fishing dories on the ocean, far from land, or by the sea rescue squads of the coast guard, when trying to reach of foundering vessel, or, for that matter, on lifeboats from a foundering vessel itself, then the problem becomes more than an academic or moot one, for the very lives of the occupants are placed at stake, and it becomes essential that the oars on which their safety and lives depend, must at all times become capable of efiicient, continuous and controlled use. The present invention provides a means for achieving this aim, by providing for safe, continuous and controlled use of the oars of any such boat, and for feathering the same when desired, to avoid undue air windage friction during the return stroke of the oars.

This device will also make it possible for those users who are relatively inexperienced in use of oars and oar propelled boats, to make use of them without danger of losing the oars, and hence to gain in a'short time during stress periods, some proficiency in using the oars for boat propulsion and guidance. This is not only important in boat propulsion and guidance on a lake or other relatively quiescent body of water, but also, for example, when an air-inflated liferaft is dropped from an aircraft for saving the lives of the occupants thereof, the liferaft being equipped with oars for its propulsion, as the invention is also adapted for such usage, especially to safeguard against loss of the oars in windy and high seas on the ocean, and to aid inexperienced persons to at least make a continuous effort for propulsion and guidance of the vessel. The present invention is also useful in guidance of sail propelled vessels by use of a stern mounted guiding oar or the like, using the invention.

In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the best means for carrying it out, reference may be had to the drawings, and the accompanying description thereof. Like numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

As shown, there is a boat, with clamp or rail portion 10 running along each side of the boat, with oar lock positions indicated as at 12 therealong, depending on whether there is only one oarsman or several oarsmen. At the stern of the boat there may be an additional oar lock position 14 for the guidance or sculling oar of the boat.

vAs seen, there is a rail 10 of the boat, the upper portion 12 of which is fitted with oar lock receiving socket portions or bases 13 having flanges 18 secured in place by screws 22 penetrating the flanges and the rail 10 of the boat.

Such oar lock socket portions or bases 13 may have extended body portions 17 with vertical socket bores 14 extending therethrough and fitted with friction reducing bushings 19 having top holding flanges 21 thereon. The friction reducing bushings or liners 19 may preferably be made of porous material suitable for continuous reduc-' tion of frictional effect, as by means of their construction of Oilite materials in which oil is impregnatedinto the interstitial spaces of the particles making up the body of the device and sintered and compressed in manufacture into the desired shapes, or .made by other means. By such usage, lubricant, being always in the body of the bearing bushing, is available for continuous lubrication, and hence continuous reduction of friction and optimum performance.

An upright support shaft 24 is provided at its lower end portion with a cylindrical portion 26 which fits into the socket bore, with an enlarged shoulder provided as at 30 to block further entrance into the bore and for support against vertical downward displacement. As mentioned, the socket flange portion 21 may be provided with an Oilite type of liner bushing for enhancing freedom from frictional retardation in its motion.

The upper portion 36 of the member 24 may be formed in any suitable shape or contour, preferably rectangular while its lower portion is preferably cylindrical.

The upper portion 36 of member 24 has a horizontal bore 40 formed therethrough for reception of the reduced right end portion 42 of the horizontal oar suppot member 44. It is to be noted that the portion 42 is in its inner portion cylindrical and unthre-aded, for bearing engagement and for free turning in the bore 40, but on its outer end it is threaded as at 46 for threaded engagement with a retaining nut 48, and a cotter pin 50 through the nut and shaft to block unwanted turning of the nut and shaft relative to each other. In other words, the cotter pin and nut block axial displacement of the shaft portion 42 from member 24.

The left end portion of member 44 may be provided with parallel sides 49 and 51 to extend between legs 60' and 62 of holding clamp member 64. A bolt 66 extends through the member 44 and the two legs 60* and 62 of member 64, and has a nut 70 threaded thereon to hold it in place and adjust the clamping pressure on the oar shank. The clamping member body 72 is substantially circular in plan and has a central opening 74 to receive the shank of the oar 76. By tightening of the clamping screw 70, it is seen that the clamping of the oar and the clamp is effectuated. The clamping member 64 is preferably provided with flanges 65 for added strength and to avoid cutting the oar shank, the flanges being formed preferably with notches as :at 82 for flexibility in expansion and contraction to aid in fitting and engaging the-oar shank.

As seen in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, means is provided to prevent upward dislodgment of the vertical shaft 26 from engagement with its socket member 17, such as by means of a cotter pin 87 inserted through a transverse bore in the shaft 26, or the like.

A similar Oilite bearing bushing may be used as a liner for the bore 40 to lubricate the shaft 42 therein, as the bushing 28. For lubrication purposes also, the clamping of the oar shank may be preventing from harming the wooden shank by use of :a grease forced in. This is accomplished according to a modified form, by forming an axial bore 79 through the member 42, right to the oar opening 74, and a grease fitting 80 of any suitable well known type may be threaded into the left end of member 46 as seen in FIGURE 3, so that a grease gun may be applied to the grease fitting and grease forced through the bore so as to avoid damage to the oar by the compression of the clamp, without there being any looseness of the clamping of the oar, however, which is assured by tightening of the screw 66.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the oar 77 is easily and freely rotatable about the vertical axis of member 24 as indicated by arrow 86. Also as seen in FIGURE 4, the oar is also rotatable about the horizontal axis of the member 46, as indicated by arrows 88. It is apparent that the optimum degree of flexibility is afforded the oarsman, with minimum of friction and ease in feathering the blade of the oar on the return stroke when it is out of the water, thus reducing windage drag by turning the flat face or blade of the oar into the horizontal plane. At the same time, the oar 77 is freely dipped into the water and raised therefrom. A further advantage is the positive clamping of the oar 77 to the boat, so that it is impossibleto lose the oar.

Although I have described in specific terms a preferred form of the invention, it is understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

An oar device comprising socket means comprising a socket base securable to a portion of a boat, and having a socket formed therein, first support means formed with an extension portion for rotatably engaging said socket and for being carried-by said socket base, and having a bearing bore formed in said first support means, second support means formed with an extension portion for rotatably engaging and extending into said bearing bore in said first support means, an oar engaging .clamp means having an oar receiving opening for receiving and engaging a shank of an oar, and adjustable clamp leg means carried by said clamp means and constructed and arranged for adjustable engagement with said second support means for movement therewith, whereby said oar engaged by said clamp means is movable with said second support means during the use thereof on said boat, and lubricating means constructed and arranged for lubricating that portion of the oar shank which is clampingly engaged by said oar engaging clamp means.

References Cited by the Examiner 9/1928 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examiner.

A. E. CORRIGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

